Ken Mauer said what now?

The NBA has an issue with some of its refs. I'm going to be diplomatic here and say that some of them clearly feel like they deserve some fo the spotlight. Ken Mauer has shown time and time again that he's one of those guys.

With the game long having been decided and the Thunder leading by 20 points with 1:05 remaining, seldom-used Zabian Dowdell received two quick technicals for comments he made to the officials and was ejected, and Aaron Brooks immediately followed suit.

Did Ken Mauer really provoke a guy then toss him when he responded? I don't even care what the response was. When someone tells you you're "being a little bitch"… especially when you're in the heat of a game… you're going to say something. If Mauer really did say that… and the way everyone is talking after the game I wouldn't doubt that he did… then he needs to go. Suspend him for the rest of the regular season and don't assign him to any playoff games.

For some reason, there's a group of NBA officials that seem to take their cue from MLB umpires and interject themselves into the game much more than they should. I get it… the job is insanely difficult. 10 huge guys out there flying around the court… it's hard to catch everything. And after every play you've got someone grimacing at you abou the foul you just did or didn't call. I get all of that. But that doesn't mean you are allowed to cross that line. You can't become part of the game. You have to live on its periphery. I think Mauer stopped getting that a long time ago.

Follow that link for video of Aaron Brooks sort of grabbing his crotch in front of Mauer to get himself tossed.

someone needs to tell the refs that people don’t pay $50 a (min) game to watch them.
refereeing is a tough job, but there is room for improvment, no doubt

http://profile.typepad.com/mikemunger Mike Munger

So a ref abuses his power, lets his personal ego get in the way of what he’s supposed to be doing, makes calls that have an effect on the score of the game(aka spread) and people will STILL act like a certain former ref wasn’t telling the truth.

http://profile.typepad.com/the_bantam the_bantam

He-said/he-said. Who knows what either of them said?

http://profile.typepad.com/danmcdonald Danno

The reporter sitting courtside who can be charged with libel if he’s lying about it.

http://profile.typepad.com/jpd062 jpd985

I expect Mauer to sue like the other ref did after the MN game.

http://profile.typepad.com/licktheglassitol Classless

A vindictive NBA ref? Surprise surprise. Its holding the sport back.

http://profile.typepad.com/gdeturk Banner18

Bad refs, crooked refs, incompetent refs, refs that carry grudges, and refs that use bad judgement have always been a part of the game. For the most part, they are balanced out by good, solid, honest refs. I argue with my son (an ex Hugh school ref) about the value and legitimacy of “make up calls.”. He thinks they should not exist. That refs a should always call the game exactly the way they see it. I think “make up calls” are an essential part of the game, and help to keep the game honest and fair. The real problems result when there is not an experienced, fair crew chief who has the good, common sense to call a “make up” when one is warranted or to give the ball to the last team to touch it on an out of bounds play when a foul should have been called, but wasn’t.

http://profile.typepad.com/the_bantam the_bantam

We can pretend a law suit will prevent a reporter from embellishing, I’ll agree to that. But even if that were fool proof…
The reporter can’t validate what Dowdell said to the ref leading up to it, or at another point from the bench earlier in the game. We can’t pretend to know everything that was said. Even though he is an official he is supposed to be above it, players are supposed to be professionals and control themselves too. As the post reads: “I don’t even care what the response was. When someone tells you you’re “being a little bitch”… especially when you’re in the heat of a game… you’re going to say something.” The same goes for whatever the player might have said to provoke the official.
I don’t mean to defend the official, not at all. I’m pointing out that without a concrete rule or concrete script of everything that was said it is going to be
He-said/He-said
I do believe the official should be punished by the league. Though it will still be a case of what we didn’t hear, rather than what we did.

http://profile.typepad.com/6p01156f73aaaa970c AboveTheRim

kindly disagree here, banner. If everyone knows it’s a bad call to the point it necessitates a ‘make up call’, inluding the Ref who knows he made a bad call, why not swallow your pride and reverse the call?
If it’s so bad your going to warrant a make up call, just reverse the original call.
Problem is ego and refs can never admit they were wrong. So instead of reversing one bad call, you make two lousy calls. It’s retarded.
NBA Refs are the worst. Fire them all and hire High School refs…
Call the game like it is. No superstar or rookie treatment. No balancing fouls for a box score. No make up calls. Just call it how it’s supposed to be called.

http://profile.typepad.com/gdeturk Banner18

You can't always reverse the call of the official who's closer and who "has a better angle.". The crew chief can do it under most circumstances, but it's a very fast game, and it would result in a lot of jump balls. I've had this argument with my 25 tear old son many times. In a perfect world, I think you and he are right. But in reality, I think "make up calls" are the only practical way to try to make the game fair. Say one official makes 5 bad calls in favor of home team and the crew chief calls everything 50/50, right down the middle. You'll wind up with 5 bad calls that will possibly change the outcome (or at least the spread). Wouldn't it be more fair if the crew chief evened out the bad calls a bit?
If a player on team A goes over the back of a defender on team B for a rebound with no foul called, and the ball dribbles out of bounds off the offensive player B's hands, the rules say the ball should belong to team A. But most of the time refs use common sense and give to team B (the guy boxing out). They could call a time out, watch the replay, call a loose ball foul on team A, but most of the time they just give it to team B. BTW there used to be something in the rule book that applied to this and similar situations. They called it a "force out.". It was a foul, and usually it just slowed up the game, so they took it out.
IMO it's more important to apply common sense, for the game to be fair (the spirit of the law) rather than to adhere to the letter of the law and let one team get screwed.
Just my opinion.
All the best,
Banner18
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